Bottle carriers



March 29, 1966 'r. KARAS BOTTLE CARRIERS Filed June 22, 1964 FIG. 3

INVENTOR. THEODORE KARAs United States Patent Ofi ice 3,243,220 PatentedMar. 29, 1966 The present invention relates to devices for holding aplurality of bottles such as soda bottles and the like and moreparticularly to an improved device by which a number of such bottles maybe conveniently carried in one hand.

Although many bottle carriers of various types have been heretoforeprovided these have generally failed to provide an economicallyconstructed carrier which can be readily filled and emptied and yet inwhich accidental release of the bottles is prevented. Some of theheretofore known bottle carriers have taken a form utilizing meansresiliently clamping to a portion of the bottle. it such a carrier is toeffectively prevent accidental release then it necessarily will be verydiflicult to fill and empty.

Other previously known bottle carriers have been provided with flangedmeans slidably receiving the neck of the bottle. To prevent accidentalrelease of the bottles upon the carrier being tipped slightly some typeof locking means must be provided. These have previously been in theform of :a movable latch member of some type and although a satisfactorycarrier is produced by such a structure the additional mechanismrequired adds substantial costs to such carriers.

The present invention provides an improved bottle carrier which isconstructed of a single piece of material. A pair of spaced opposingflanges are provided to define an elongated channel adapted to receivethe necks of the bottles to be carried. The flanges are curved upwardlyat each end to prevent accidental release of the bottles. A slot isprovided at each end of the carrier adjacent the curved portions of theflanges so that by positioning the bottles substantially parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the channel the neck of the bottles can be insertedthrough the slots and by rotating the bottles slightly they can be movedinto the channel to be securely engaged by the opposing flanges. Sinceto unload the carrier the bottles must be pivoted through the slotsdefined at each end accidental release of the bottles is substantiallyeliminated.

It is an object then of the present invention to improve bottle holdingand carrying devices by providing such a device which may be readilyfilled and emptied and yet in which accidental release of the bottles issubstantially eliminated.

It is another object of the present invention to reduce the costs ofmanufacturing bottle holding and carrying devices by providing a newconstruction permitting such a device to be formed from a single pieceof material.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide aneconomically produced bottle carrying and holding device which may bereadily filled and emptied and yet in which accidental release of thebottles is substantially eliminated by providing such a devicecomprising an elongated flanged member defining a bottle receivingchannel and an entrance to the channel which requires pivoting of thebottle before it can be inserted into the channel.

Still further objects and advantages of the present invention willreadily occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertainsupon reference to the following drawings in which like referencecharacters refer to like parts throughout the several views and inwhich,

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the device of the present inventionillustrating several bottles being retained by the device and anotherbottle being positioned to be inserted into the device,

FIG. 2 is a lateral cross-sectional view taken substantially at line 22of FIG. 1 and with a portion of a bottle shown for purposes of clarity.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan View of the device of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional view takensubstantially on line 4-4 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view illustrating the manner in whichfilled, holding and carrying devices of the present invention can bestacked one above the other.

Now referring to the drawings for a more detailed description of thepresent invention, a preferred bottle carrier and holding device istherein illustrated as comprising an elongated body member generallyindicated at 10. The body member 10 is preferably formed to provide anelongated substantially flat top portion 12 and elongated spaced sideportions 14 extending in substantially parallel relationship from thelongitudinal edges of the top portion 12 so that the body member 10 issubstantially in the form of an elongated channel member.

As can best be seen in FIGS. l, 4 and 5, each end of the side portions14 is preferably arcuately formed as at 16. As can best be seen in FIGS.2 and 4, the longi tudinal free edge of each of the side portions 14 isprovided with inwardly extending substantially co-planar flange portions18. The interior surfaces of the top portion 12 and the side portions 14together with the flange portions 18 define an elongated bottlereceiving channel 20. As can best be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the flangeportions 18 are curved upwardly as at 21 at each end of the sideportions 14 to follow the edge of the arcuate portion 16 and toterminate closely adjacent the plane containing the top portion 12.

As can best be seen in FIG. 3, the material forming the top portion 12is preferably cut away at each end to define slots 22 which communicatewith the channel 20.

The carrying and holding device of the present invention is adapted tocarry those types of bottles such as soda bottles and the like indicatedat 24 which have an outwardlyprojecting rim portion 26 on the neck ofthe bottle adjacent the top thereof. It is apparent that the lateraldimension of the channel 29 must be sufficient to permit the rim portion26 of the bottles 24 to be disposed therein. The distance between theflange portions 18 must be such that when a bottle 24 is inserted intothe channel 20 the flange portions 18 will engage beneath the rimportion 26 to securely retain the bottles 24. Further, as will be moreapparent as the description proceeds, the slots 22 will preferably havea longitudinal dimension substantially equal to the lateral dimension ofthe channel 20 and as can best be seen in FIG. 4 will have alongitudinal dimension less than the diameter of the rim portion 26 sothat it is not possible to remove the bottles 24 straight upwardlythrough the slots 22.

When it is desired to fill the bottle carrying and holding device of thepresent invention a bottle 24 is positioned as shown at the left side ofFIG. 1 with its longitudinal axis substantially aligned with thelongitudinal axis of the channel 20. The top of the bottle 24 is theninserted through the slot 22 with the rim portion 26 of the bottlepositioned interior-1y of the curved ends 21 of the flanged portions 18.By pivoting the bottle 24 then it can be moved longitudinally into thechannel 20 to be securely retained by the flanged portions 18.

To empty the holding and carrying device of the present invention theabove described procedure is reversed with each bottle 24 being moved toone or the other end of the channel 20 and being pivoted upwardly andoutwardly through the slot 22.

The carrying and holding device of the present invention is adapted tobe held by simply gripping the side portions 14 of the body member 143.It is not necessary then to provide a separate handle member for thedevice so that the top portion 12 can be left free of any outwardprojections. This permits several filled devices to be convenientlystacked one on top of the other as illustrated in FIG. 5 to provide aconvenient means of displaying and dispensing bottled goods.

To prevent the bottles 24 from swaying while the holder is beingcarried, it is desired that the lateral vertical dimension of the slot26 be quite :close to the corresponding dimensions between the ridges 26and the top of the bottle 24. In this way the top of the bottle 24engaging the lower surface of the portion 12 will limit any tendency ofthe bottles to sway during carrying of the holder.

It is apparent that because the bottle carrying and holding device whichhas been described can be =constructed of a single piece of material andcan be readily manufactured from relatively inexpensive materialsutilizing molding or extrusion processes, manufacturing costs for thedisclosed device are substantially less than heretofore known similardevices. Further, although the device of the present invention may bereadily filled and emptied, the particular means by which the bottles tobe carried are inserted and removed substantially eliminates thepossibility of the bottles becoming accidentally disengaged from theholder. Because no projecting handle means is required for the device,several filled holders can be stored in a stacked relationship to aid inconveniently displaying and dispensing bottled goods such as soda popand the like.

It is further apparent that although I have described but a singleembodiment of my invention, many changes and modifications can be madetherein without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressedby the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for holding bottles provided with a neck portion and a rimformed on said neck portion, said device comprising (a) a body memberformed to provide an elongated top portion and a pair of side portionsextending 4t downwardly from said top portion in a spaced substantiallyparallel relationship,

(b) said side portions being provided at their tree edges with opposingsubstantially co-planar flange portions extending toward each other todefine an elongated channel for receiving said neck portions of saidbottles held by said device with said flange portions engaging beneathsaid rims on said neck portions,

(c) each of said flanges being formed at each end with an arcuatelyupwardly extending portion,

(d) said top portion being provided at each end with a slot providingaccess to said upwardly extending portions of said flange portions,

(e) the axial dimension of each of said slots being less than thediameter of said rim and being substantially equal to the distancebetween said flange portions and said top portion whereby to position abottle within said channel or to remove a bottle from said channel saidbottle must be brought to a position in which the longitudinal axis ofsaid bottle is parallel to the longitudinal axis of said body member.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 and in which said channel is formedwith a longitudinal dimension greater than three times the diameter ofsaid rim of said bottles whereby said device can hold at least threebottles.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 and in which the distance betweensaid flange portions and said top portion is substantially equal to thedistance between the lower surface of said rim and the upper surface ofsaid bottle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,597,238 8/1926Maddox 29487.28 X 2,440,902 4/1948 Lutey 294-8728 X 2,620,691 12/1952Gould 211-74- X 2,703,253 3/1955 Bierderman 29487.2

HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner.

1. A DEVICE FOR HOLDING BOTTLES PROVIDED WITH A NECK PORTION AND A RIMFORMED ON SAID NECK PORTION, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING (A) A BODY MEMBERFORMED TO PROVIDE AN ELONGATED TOP PORTION AND A PAIR OF SIDE PORTIONSEXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID TOP PORTION IN A SPACED SUBSTANTIALLYPARALLEL RELATIONSHIP, (B) SAID SIDE PORTIONS BEING PROVIDED AT THEIRFREE EDGES WITH OPPOSING SUBSTANTIALLY CO-PLANAR FLANGE PORTIONSEXTENDING TOWARD EACH OTHER TO DEFINE AN ELONGATED CHANNEL FOR RECEIVINGSAID NECK PORTIONS OF SAID BOTTLES HELD BY SAID DEVICE WITH SAID FLANGEPORTIONS ENGAGING BENEATH SAID RIMS ON SAID NECK PORTIONS, (C) EACH OFSAID FLANGES BEING FORMED AT EACH END WITH AN ARCUATELY UPWARDLYEXTENDING PORTION,